Mechanism for temporarily locking water-closet covers.



, PATENTED "AUG. 11, 1903; E. WOODR-UFFP MECHANISM FOR. TEMPORARILY LOOKING WATER CLOSET COVERS.

APPIIIOATION FILED SEPT. 2, 1902.

N0 MODEL.

Tn: nonms PETERS c0, mom-Lima. WASHINGTON. D4 cv UNITE STATES Patented August 11 1903.

EDWARD WOODRUFF, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

MECHANISM FOR TEMPORARIIY LOCKING WATER-CLOSET COVERS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 735,927, dated August 11, 1903.

2 Application filed September 2, 1902. Serial No. 121,799. (No model.) 7

To all whom it may concern: I

Be it known that I, EDWARD WooDRUFF, a citizen of the United States, residing at Ohicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented a new and useful Mechanism for Temporarily Locking Water Oloset Covers, of which the following is a specification in its best form now known to me, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which similar numerals indicate the same parts throughout the several views.

Where a landlord has vacant houses or flats and also in public places where plumbing is out of order, it is frequently desirable to have means at hand for temporarily looking the tops of the bowls of the water-closets. In my Patent No. 706,869, issued to me August 12, 1902, I have shown mechanism for this purpose where no covering attached to the stand is provided.

The object of the invention here in question is to provide means for locking such stands where there is a cover hinged to the stand.

The invention consists, broadly, in mechanism for detachably securing a connecting member, preferably a chain or wire rope, to the front of cover, passing said rope or chain around the bottom of the bowl or into engagement with some other fixed object below the plane of the cover, and locking the same, so that the cover cannot be raised.

It also consists in a novel form of hook adapted to afiord such detachable attachment which can be easily and cheaply constructed and applied for the purposes in question.

It also consists in other features, which will be more fully described and claimed as the specification proceeds.

In the drawings, Figure 1 shows a side view of the closet-bowl having mechanism illustrating the preferred form of my invention applied thereto. Fig. 2 is a partial plan view of the same. Fig. 3 is a detail perspective View of the preferred form of hook. Fig. 4. is a detail View showing a portion of said hook covered with rubber or other protective material to prevent its scratching the varnish of the seat-cover.

Again referring to the drawings, numeral 11 indicates a bowl of a closet, to which is secured by the usual three-way hinge 12 the seat 13 and the cover 14., they being protected from each other by the rubber knobs 15 and 16, as shown.

In the preferred form of my invention I provide a hook 17, made, preferably, of one piece of steel wire. In the manufacture of it I take a long piece of wire and bend one end in the loop 18, to which a chain or other securing member maybe attached, brazing the joint, if desired, to secure proper strength. I then draw the wire in a straight piece 19 of sufficient length to fit under the edge of the cover 14 and extend across the edge of the seat, the same terminatingin the loop 20. I then bend the wire back in a straight piece 21, about one-third of the length of straight piece 19, and then bend it upward in the curved portion 22 and forward again into the straight portion 23, the shortest distance between portions 23 and 19 being substantially the thickness of the cover 14. I then carry it along parallel to the straight piece 19 in the straight portion 24, then back in a straight portion 25 parallel to 23, and then bend it in curve 26 parallel to curve 22, and complete the hook by soldering or brazing the end 27 to the straight portion 19 at a distance from the loop 18 about one-third the length of the straight portion 19. In other words, the hook portion proper occupies about one-third the length between the loops l8 and 20, and each arm connecting the hook proper with a loop is about one-third of the total length ofstraight portion 19. If desired, I cover the said hook, as shown in Fig. 4, with rubber or other similar protective material adapted to prevent the metal of the hook from scratching the wood. To the ends 18 and 20 of the hook I prefer to attach short chains 31 and 32 or other flexible securing members adapted to pass around through some opening at the back of the bowl-as, for instance, the opening 33and I provide a lock 34:, adapted to secure the ends of chains 31 and 32 or links near the ends together. These chains may be passed through any opening at the back of the stand-as, for instance, the notches 35 or 36 or the opening 37or through one or more staples or hooks in the floor, the

chains being lengthened or shortened, so that no matter what they are connected to the locked chain secures the cover down. In a similar way the chain may be made in one piece and connected'to one end of the hookas, for instance, at l8and the other end or some link near the end connected to opening 20 in hook 17 by the padlock. In many instances this method of locking would be preferable.

In the operation of my invention I make the mechanism just described, using a rubber-covered hook, if desired, close the seatcover, as shown in Fig. 1, place the hook 17 over the front of the cover, pass the long chain 32 through some opening or notch at the back of the bowl or through some other fixed object below the cover, as heretofore described, draw the chain up till it is tight against the end of chain 31, (or if a single chain is used until its end comes in contact with the end of loop 20 of the hook,) then pass the padlock through two links of the chain, as shown, (or through ,a link at the end of the chain and hook 520 if the modified construction is used,) and lock this. Now it is impossible to raise the cover while the lock remains in position. WVhen it is desired to raise the cover, I simply unlock the padlock and remove the mechanism.

I do not wish to be understood as limiting myself to the exact details of construction shown and described, for these may be varied within reasonable limits without departing from my invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and on which I desire Letters Patent, is-

1. As an article of manufacture for use in mechanism of the class described, a book made of wire consisting of the loop 18, straight portion '19, bend 20, the straight portion 21, curve 22, straight, portions 23, 24, and 25, curved portion 26 and the end 27 rigidly secured to straight portion 19, all substantially as described, for the purposes set forth.

2. As an article of manufacture for use in mechanism of the class described, a hook made of wire consisting of the loop 18, straight portion 19, bond 20, straight portion 21, curve 22, straight portions 23, 24; and 25, curve portion 26 and the end 27 rigidly secured to straight portion 19, all substantially as described, and a rubber covering 30 upon portions of said hook adapted to prevent the hook scratching objects it comes in contact with. l

3. In mechanism of the class described, the combination of a book made of wire, consisting of the loop 18, straight portion 19, bend 20, straight portion 21, curve 22, straight portions 23, 24, and 25, curve portion 26 and the end 27 rigidly secured to straight portion 19, all substantially as described, and a chain 31 connected to loop 20, a chain 32 connected to loop 18 and a lock 34 adapted to detachably secure the ends of the chain together, all substantially as shown and described for the purposes set forth.

EDWARD WOODRUFF.

Witnesses:

DWIGHT B. CHEEVER, BLANCHE L. WEST. 

